Hard wired: cable barriers installed by VicRoads on the Hume Freeway are a fire risk, say CFA members Tony Owen, Max Cox and Graeme Seach. Picture: Mark Griffin

THE CFA has warned motorists' lives are being put at risk by a VicRoads decision to erect cable barriers along forested stretches of the Hume Fwy.

CFA region 22 operations officer Tony Owen said the CFA's statewide assessment showed the Hume corridor was now defined as an extreme fire risk zone, made worse by the construction of cable barriers.

Mr Owen said forested areas behind the barriers had not been slashed for up to five years and fuel loads had built up to 20-28 tonnes a hectare in many areas.

"Even if there's a storm there's no one going through and collecting (fallen trees and branches)," he said.

The CFA has warned VicRoads it must do more to manage fuels behind the barriers and put in crossovers every 500m to ensure people could escape during fires.

Mr Owen and other CFA volunteers say the cable barriers would corral people during a fire and create a death trap.

"Once a motor vehicle is past the last crossover it's stuck and unable to escape to cleared ground in surrounding paddocks (as a fire refuge) or turn around," Mr Owen said.

He said the risks were very high given that in the past five years CFA volunteers had responded to 429 vehicle and 1149 vegetation fires within a kilometre of the freeway, between Kalkallo and Wodonga.

"We've met VicRoads on several occasions on this, but they put it in the too hard basket," Mr Owen said.

"We don't want to be seen to be having a go at VicRoads, but it's the only way to get attention on the need for more financial resources to do this labour-intensive work."

Mr Owen said VicRoads had responded to the CFA's request for more crossovers, but only on the basis of evidence from CFA and Victoria Police that there was a "strategic need".

As for doing more fuel reduction work behind the barriers Mr Owen said VicRoads was waiting to see the results of a CFA Hume Corridor study mapping fuel loads, topography and fire frequency.

VicRoads North East director Graham Freestone recently constructed two median breaks through safety barriers in response to requests from local brigades in the Longwood area.

"VicRoads will investigate specific issues identified by local brigades and brought to its attention," Mr Freestone said.

By Sandra Godwin
May 31, 2010

Original Article